Him & I
by DoctorWhoObsessed93
Summary: Isabella Swan was just a rich girl missing something in her life until she met local bad boy Edward Cullen. *NOT a song fic BUT inspired by the song Him & I by Halsey feat. G-Eazy*
1. Prologue

***Hey guys! So first off for those of you waiting for an update on Darker You, it is coming I promise! Unfortunately the same cannot be said for The Veela Bond- not giving up on it I just haven't quite figured out what happens next... Anyways! As you can see, new story! Whoo! So this story was inspired by Him & I by the lovely Halsey featuring the GORGEOUS G-Eazy. Seriously if you haven't listened to that song, do so while reading this. I had it on repeat while I wrote this. Anywho! An update schedule for this story hasn't been figured out yet BUT I'm gonna try to do one every week. Umm so yeah... enjoy! As always CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is much appreciated but please DON'T leave any nasty or rude reviews. Thanks guys!***

Her name was Isabella Swan. She was a girl from the upper side of Forks, Washington. Her father- once Chief of police- was the mayor of the small but flourishing town. All her life she had wanted for nothing. Everything was provided for her- a beautiful home, an excellent education, and more money than she ever knew what to do with. But that didn't matter to her. She didn't care for expensive wardrobe collection, her top spot on her high school cheer squad, or even her 'friends'- who were only interested in her because of her father's bank account. Bella always felt there was something missing in her life- something other than the newest iPhone.

Despite her father's money, Bella liked to live modestly. Sure her closet was filled with thousands of designer clothes and shoes, and her phone changed with each latest model that came out, but she didn't buy- nor ask- for any of that stuff. Her mother- Renee- was a money hungry socialite and was constantly buying anything that would make her family's rich status noticeable. Bella felt more comfortable in a pair of her worn out sweatpants and a stretched out t-shirt than she did in the designer outfits and Louboutin heels her mother made her dress up in.

Bella liked studying for tests alone in the sanctuary of her bedroom. She liked vegging out on the couch while she watched reruns of Scooby-Doo- the original series her father and her used to watch together before he became mayor. But she rarely got the time to do that as a high school student. Instead her days were filled with listening to the latest gossip from her friends, cheer practice, and eating dingy, non-appetizing, salads. Her friends insisted she hung out with them every evening and weekend. God forbid she decline or her mother would start a nuclear war and an endless lecture of why her hanging out with her friends was good for the family's image.

There was one day that Bella hadn't minded hanging out with her friends. They had all snuck down to La Push to crash a party on the beach. La Push High and Forks Private High were rivals and only those truly suicidal would dare venture on the other's turf. Despite Bella's insistent protests, her friends dragged her along. The party huge and loud. The beach was crowded with kids from La Push High. Most of them lived on the local Indian Reservation but there were a few from the outskirts of Forks- the lower society couldn't afford to attend Forks Private school.

It was amazing that nobody seemed to realized Bella and her friends were upper-siders. Then again, there were too many people to really notice anybody. Towards the end of the night as her friends were finally bored enough to leave, Bella heard a loud rumbling noise from down the road. Everyone else seemed to hear it too and they all turned in the direction of three cars racing down the curvy road before skidding to a stop on beach. Intrigued, Bella stopped walking with her friends and stared as cars opened and out stepped six beautiful people.

A tall blonde male stepped out of the driver's side of the blue Porsch. He walked around and opened the passenger door and out bounced a black-haired sprite of a girl with a wide smile on her face as she cuddled up to to the blonde. From the black Bugatti stepped out another tall blonde- this one a female- and a male with dark curly hair. The pair was in a heated argument, unaware of the audience they drew- or maybe they just didn't care. Finally the doors of the silver Aston Martin opened and the most beautiful man Bella had ever seen emerged.

He was tall with dark hair- though lighter than the other man's; it was hard to see the exact color in the dim light- and what looked like a cigarette hanging from his sculpted lips. For a moment Bella imagined walking over to him and taking the cigarette out of his lips only to put it to her lips. She could see herself smiling coyly at him as she took a long drag before blowing it out and introducing herself. She wondered how he would react. Unfortunately her fantasy came to a screeching halt as the passenger door opened and another leggy blonde stepped out. She walked towards the gorgeous man and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It was obvious they were an 'It' couple.

"Bella, are you coming?!" Jessica Stanley- one of Bella's so-called 'friends'- yelled from across the beach.

Bella hadn't realized she'd been so behind her friends. She must have been standing there staring at the couples for a good five minutes. She nodded her Jessica and began walking towards her. She threw one last look behind her at the gorgeous man and to her surprise he was watching her too.

That was three years ago. Bella had asked Jessica the next day if she knew who those people were. Jessica, being the daughter of the town's gossip mongrel, was more than knowledgeable about the six 'fiends'- as she called them. The blonde male and black-haired pixie girl were Jasper Hale and Alice Brandon. The couple who had been arguing were Emmett McCarty and Rosalie Hale- Jasper's twin sister. And the 'It' couple? Well that was the notorious Edward Cullen and Tanya Denali. Notorious for what, Jessica didn't say.

Bella caught more glimpses of Edward and the others over the years. She mostly saw them at the football games between La Push and Forks. They usually hung out in the parking lot or behind the bleachers. Edward and Tanya were two years older than the rest of their friends but even after he graduated Bella still saw him with his friends. Tanya had apparently left for college but she and Edward were still an item.

During the summer before Bella's senior year something and Edward broke up. It was big news- so big that it traveled all the way to Forks. After hearing this news from the one and only Jessica, Bella decided this was her chance. The chance she had been waiting for. She was going to be Edward Cullen's girlfriend.

Her plan started with La Push's annual back-to-school beach bash. Bella had lied to Renee and said she was going to hang out with Jessica and Lauren- her other 'friend'. She drove her baby- a matte purple Audi r8- to La Push beach. At 9:00 pm the party was already going strong. The music was loud and the beach was filled with girls in skimpy bikinis and guys in jean and cargo pant cutoffs. Everyone seemed to have a drink in their hands- some were drinking from bottles while others drank from red Solo cups.

Bella hung back from the rest of the party goers. She didn't want anyone to recognize her as an outsider, though it wouldn't be hard once they saw her designer sundress. She stuck out like a sore thumb. Admittedly she should have worn something more casual. She searched for Edward in the crowd for nearly an hour before she gave up. His car wasn't even on the beach so she figured he just may not be coming. Just as she was about to leave she heard the loud rev of an engine followed by two more.

Like the first time she saw him, Bella stopped to stare as Edward's Aston Martin pulled into the beach. The blue Porsche and black Bugatti park beside him. Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rose exited their cars in practically the same fashion as they had three years ago. Then Edward got out of his car. For a moment Bella expected to see Tanya's long legs exiting the passenger side. She was relieved when the door stayed firmly closed. Bella was too busy staring at the five to realize they were headed right for her.

"I'm telling you Em I heard a rattling!" Rosalie was shouting at Emmett. "I swear if your stupid racing antics fucked up my car-!"

"Oh my god!" Emmett groaned. "Would you shut up already woman?! Even if I did it's not like it's nothing you can't fix!"

"That's not the point!" Rosalie glared. "I told you I didn't want you taking her to any more races and yet every weekend you continually defy me!"

"Those stupid races got you the fucking car in the first place!" Emmett glowered.

"It's not my fault that guy was stupid enough to put her slip up! He had no idea the treasure he had but I do and I don't want you throwing her away!" Rosalie sounded piss. She and the others came to a stop in front of Bella. They gazed at Bella curiously with narrowed eyes. Rosalie was the first to speak. "Who the fuck invited an upper-sider?!"

Bella's face heated as she felt everyone around her staring. She ducked her head wishing she could just disappear. What had she been thinking, really? There was no way she would be seen as anything other than a girl from the rich side of town. Guys like Edward didn't care for her 'kind'. She chanced a look at the man of affections. He wasn't looking at her. In fact he looked completely bored with the entire situation.

"No need to be a bitch Rosalie." Emmett rolled his eyes at the blonde before raising an eyebrow at Bella. "She's obviously just lost, ain't that right Princess?"

Bella bristled at the nickname but kept quiet. What could she say? That she was here to seduce Edward? She was obviously not doing very good. What was supposed to be an opportunistic night turned into the most humiliating moment of Bella's life.

"I- um… I'm not an- an upper-sider." Bella lied pathetically once she found her voice. Edward finally looked at her with scrutinizing eyes.

"Could have fooled me." He scoffed. "What's wrong Princess? The Richies not cutting it for you? You thought you'd seek out some thrill?"

Bella found herself glaring up at the gorgeous man. His green eyes were laughing at her but his face remained impassive.

"My name is Bella, not Princess." She said with a huff. Her anger overrode her nerves "And I said I'm not from the upper-side."

"Ooh. Back up boys." Rosalie sneered. "Daddy's little girl's got a backbone."

"Fuck off!" Bella spat at her.

There was a collective gasp before everyone fell silent. Even the music had been muted to hear the exchange. Rosalie stepped towards Bella with a cold glare.

"What did you say to me?" She asked in a deadly quiet voice.

Bella swallowed. Rosalie was intimidating from a distance and even more so at a close range. She couldn't back down now though...could she? Yes. Yes she could back down. She could apologize and run back to her car and hopefully avoid a confrontation. One look at Edward though and Bella knew backing down was not an option- not if she wanted her chance with him. She rolled her shoulders back and opened her mouth to spout off something insulting- she had no idea what as her mouth tended to have a mind of it's own- but before she could she was being dragged away.

"H-Hey!" Bella protested as Alice continued to pull her arm.

"Shut up!" Alice said. She pulled her to Bella's car. Bella might have been surprised Alice knew which car was hers if it wasn't the only one- barring her and her friends' cars- that had no rust, broken windows, or dented doors. "You have no idea what kind of ass kicking I just saved you from. You should be thanking me."

Bella tried to pull away from the girl. For someone so small, Alice sure had a powerful grip. She only let Bella go once she had opened the Audi's driver side door. She looked at Bella expectantly but Bella just stared back in defiance.

"I didn't need your help." Bella scoffed.

"Yeah. Ya did." Alice shook her head. "Look, I get it. You're a poor little rich girl going through a phase. You want to walk on the wild side and prove to daddy that you don't need his money or whatever. And while hanging on the wrong side of the tracks with us lowers might be appealing to you, eventually you will change your mind and go crying back to daddy. We don't need the kind of drama you'd bring. Now, get in your fancy car that your mayor dad bought for you, go back to your mansion on the upper side, and tell your friends all about the cool party you crashed in La Push all by yourself. Hell if it makes you feel better, make up a fib about how you and I got in a fight and you kicked my ass. Ok? Just don't try to say you kicked Rosalie's ass or she will find out and then you really will have to fight her."

"This isn't a phase!" Bella yelled frustrated. "Just because I'm from the upper side doesn't mean I've always had money! I was lower middle class until five years ago when my father was randomly nominated for mayor! I didn't ask for all this fancy shit! I don't want to be a socialite wearing outfits that feel more like a costume than actual clothes! I don't belong on the upper side!"

Alice looked at the girl before her. She knew who she was. Bella Swan- daughter of Forks' mayor and ex-police chief. Normally Alice didn't give upper-siders a second glance, but there was something about Bella that Alice couldn't ignore. She'd seen many Richies come through La Push looking for a cheap thrill, but they were never alone. Bella at least had balls enough to show up by herself.

"Look maybe I'm wrong." Alice sighs eventually. "But nobody is going to take you seriously trying to act like Ms. Betty Badass in this getup."

Bella looked down at her clothes. She imagined being a Lower and seeing herself. It was kind of ridiculous. She looked exactly like every other upper-sider. It didn't matter that it was a beach party. No other girls were wearing powder blue sundresses with a starch white cardigan and strappy sandals to match. To Bella this was a perfectly acceptable outfit for a middle of the night beach party. It wasn't like she was going to be going swimming in the icy water. But to the Lowers they only saw a Richie.

Bella took in Alice's outfits. Cut off jean shorts, a black t-shirt tied in a knot above her navel featuring some band Bella had never heard of, a leather jacket that was too big and was probably Jasper's, and a pair of black converse. She was the epitome of a Lower. It was obvious she was born and raised in La Push. Bella glanced back at the party where everyone had resumed dancing, drinking, and chatting with their friends. She could see Rosalie glaring at her as she stood beside Emmett, Edward, and Jasper who seemed to be in their own conversation.

"How do I change?" Bella mumbled unthinkingly.

She hadn't meant to say the words out loud but she did and Alice heard them as a cry for help. Again, Alice recognized something in Bella; something different than the rest of the upper-siders. There was a desperation to her. It made Alice think that perhaps Bella really didn't belong in Forks with the rest of the Richies. Maybe Bella wasn't just looking for a thrill to rebel against her parents. Alice decided then and there that if Bella was serious, she would take her under her wing and teach her the ways of the Lowers.

"First we need to change your appearance." Alice sighed rolling her eyes. "The less you look like a Richie the less you'll be treated like one. Give me your phone."

Surprised, Bella took her phone out and gave it to Alice. Bella had expected the pixie to laugh at her and send her on her way home again. She hadn't thought Alice would actually try to help her. But why was she willing to help her- that's what Bella wanted to know. According to Alice, Bella was just a Richie- nothing special.

"This is my number." Alice said absentmindedly as she punched in her number. "I'll text you tomorrow and you and I are gonna go out. Bring your credit card and wear something comfortable. We're gonna do a lot of walking."

"My credit card?" Bella scrunched up her face.

"Shopping Bella." Alice shook her head as though it was obvious. "I doubt you have anything worthy in your massive walk-in closet so you'll need an all new wardrobe. What's your credit limit?"

"I don't have one." Bella shrugged as it was no big deal. But as she saw Alice's eyes pop out she realized it was a big deal. "But that's only because I don't use my card a lot so my dad trusts me not to go on a crazy shopping spree."

"Oh, Bella." Alice smirked. "You my friend have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. I'll text you around noon tomorrow."

"Bye Alice." Bella smiled at her. "And thanks for not just dismissing me as a Richie."

"That still has yet to be determined." Alice cocked her head to the side. "But I see potential in you. See you tomorrow Princess."


	2. Chapter 1

***Another chapter, as promised! So this chapter is 9 months after the prologue. I probably should have mentioned this in the prologue but this story will have a lot of flashbacks. It will go back and forth from the present to the past. I'm not sure if I'm going to be switching POVs so for right now just assume that the rest of the story is in Bella's pov. If it changes I'll make sure to tell you guys (I may try to do the past parts in 3rd person). Anyways, read and as always, enjoy!*  
**

Bpov

(9 months later)

A loud insistent ringing woke me up. I groaned as I turned over and slapped em phone. I knew who it was- the only person crazy enough to call me before 9:00 in the morning. I snatched my phone off my nightstand, barely opening my eyes and hit the answer button.

"What Alice?" I snapped.

"Wake up call Princess!" The evil little sprite sang in my ear. "I know how you Richies just LOVE having other people wake you up!"

"Fuck off." I groaned. "Unless you're dying, I'm hanging up."

"Ok wait!" Alice shouted quickly. "There was a reason for my call. We need your help."

"We?" I asked suspiciously. I peeked one eye open and looked beside me. I scowled at the empty bed space next to me. "Where is he?"

Two hours later I stood outside the Forks' police department. I leaned against my car with my arms folded and my sunglasses pushed over my eyes, hiding my glare. The doors to the police department opened and three people came out. Alice was yelling at Jasper as they descended the steps. Her hands were waving wildly in the air, making large gestures. Jasper, to his credit, took the verbal abuse without a word. But I didn't care about those two. My focus was on the tall gorgeous copper-haired man sauntering towards me with a cocky smirk.

"Hey babe." He leaned down to kiss me, but I turned my head at the last moment so he only got my cheek. He sighed as he pulled back. "You're mad."

"Not at all Edward." I pushed away from the car, and from him.

I walked around the car and got in the driver's side. I waited until Alice and Jasper got in as well before taking off. The drive was silent save for Alice's angry rant which was nonstop even as I pulled up in front of hers and Jasper's apartment. Alice climbed out of the car still spewing venom. Jasper followed her but before he closed the door he looked back at me.

"Thanks for bailing us out Princess. We owe you." He smirked and winked at me. He turned to Edward and clapped his shoulder. "Good luck man, she's more pissed off than Alice I think."

"Don't you dare laugh this off Jasper Whitlock Hale!" Alice screeched. "Just wait until Rosalie finds out! She'll kick your ass from here to Sunday!"

"Catch you later Jazz." Edward nodded at him.

Jasper shut the door and I took off without another second's hesitation. Edward could tell I was still stewing in silent anger. Instead of attempting to talk to me, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, grabbing one and putting it to his lips. Just as he reached for the lighter in my cup holder, I snatched the cigarette from his mouth, rolled down my window, and tossed it outside. Edward rolled his eye at me but sat back in his seat with a huff.

"Baby talk to me." He finally groaned as we pulled up to his house.

The house originally belonged to his parents. After they passed away two years ago they left it to Edward. He once told me that he wanted to sell it- too many memories of his parents were buried in there. He never did though so I figured he just couldn't bring himself to part with his childhood home. The house laid right on the Forks/ La Push boarder. Edward's mom and step-dad could have sent him to Forks' Private High- surprisingly they had more than enough money to- but they didn't want to raise Edward as an entitled, privileged brat like the rest of us upper-siders.

"Why?" I shrugged feigning indifference while I continued to stare straight ahead. "You didn't want to talk to me before you left me in your bed alone."

"You were asleep." He explained with a smile. He reached a hand out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "You looked so peaceful and you know I hate waking you."

"Oh ok." I turned to face him with a fake smile. His hand continued to play with my hair. "So if I decide to take a late night cruise with Alice I don't have to wake you? I mean, you look so adorable when you sleep and I hate waking you."

The smile slipped off his face. His eyes harden into a glare and his hand in my hair stopped moving, clutching tightly at the strands. I knew he hated waking up to an empty bed. He hated not knowing where I was just as much as I hated not knowing where he was.

"That's not the same thing." He argued hotly.

"Fuck you Edward." I sneered. "You have no idea what it's like to wake up to a call from Alice telling me that my boyfriend is in jail even though I could have sworn you had fallen asleep with me the night before."

"You don't know the whole story Bella!" He scoffed. He released my hair and tried to open his door but I locked it before he could pull on the handle.

"I don't need to know the whole story!" I yelled. "What in the world could possibly be a good enough reason to risk going to jail over a fight?!"

"Unlock the Goddamn door Bella." He threatened quietly.

"Not until you tell me why I had to bail your dumbass out of jail." I crossed my arms and waited stoically.

"Because your dumbass boyfriend was defending you!" He glared at me. "Are you happy now?!"

I froze in surprise. Edward took the opportunity to unlock his door himself. He climbed out of the car and headed inside his house. I scrambled to follow after him. He couldn't just expect me to let that explanation go. I needed to know what he meant by that. Defending me? Defending me against who?

I followed Edward into his house, not saying anything until the door was shut behind me. Edward walked into his bedroom and I trailed behind him. He sat on his bed and reached into his night stand to pull out a rolled blunt and an ashtray. He lit it as I sat beside him.

"What did you mean, you defended me?" I asked as I plucked the blunt from his fingers.

He blew the smoke out, a cloud of smoke escaping his lungs and filling the air with a skunk-like stench. I drew in a hit from the blunt and held it for as long as I could before blowing it out. Unlike Edward who had been smoking for years and was used to burn, I started coughing. The first time I had smoked weed I thought I was gonna cough up my lung, but now that I had gotten a little more used to it, I didn't cough as much.

"Jasper and I went racing last night. And before you say anything I didn't wake you because the race was with some really dangerous guys and I didn't want you around them." He explained.

I scowled at him but kept silent. I knew Edward was very protective of me. That was the kind of man he was. He was protective of the ones he cared about. In the few months we've been together I've realized that he was more protective of me than anyone else. While that should make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside- and it did a little- I felt that it had more to do with the fact that I was from the upper-side and he didn't think I could protect myself. I took another hit of the blunt.

"Obviously Jasper and I won." Edward continued smugly before his face dropped and his eyes darkened. "The other guys weren't happy though because they lost their car. It was stupid for them to put her slip up if they weren't prepared to lose her, you know? Anyways one of the guys made a cheap shot at you. It pissed me off and I punched him. Before I know it, Jasper and I are beating the crap out of these guys and then we hear sirens and before we can try to run, we're being arrested."

"So what happened to the other guys?" I asked, intrigued.

It was the pot. It was starting to make my brain fuzzy and soon enough I wouldn't even remember why I was mad in the first place. Damn Edward. He knew what he had been doing when he lit up. He was taking my mind off my anger, distracting my mind from the situation. But I didn't want to be distracted, I needed to focus. Nonetheless I brought the blunt to my lips again for another hit.

Edward's eyes darkened again as they narrowed on my lips and the blunt between them. I glared at him. I wasn't too high to forget our conversation yet. I blow the smoke out and hand the blunt back to him. He sighed defeatedly taking a hit himself. He held the smoke in his lungs as he continued to talk.

"I don't know. They were Richies so they probably got a slap on the wrist or some shit." He blew the smoke out and cleared his throat. "The one guy that was talking shit, he said he knew you. Mike something-or-other."

"Newton? Mike Newton?" My eyes bugged out. "What the fuck did that asshole say about me Edward?"

"Baby I took care of it, remember?" He took another hit before passing the blunt back to me. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"The hell it doesn't Edward."

I took two more hits before offering it back but he shook his head before taking it. I watched as he licked his fingers and squished the tip, extinguishing it. I always wondered how he didn't burn himself when he did that. I tried to do that once and I felt like I had third degree burns on my fingertips.

"You really want to know? You can't let this shit upset you if I tell you, understand?" He narrowed his eyes. I nodded my head. "He asked if I liked having his sloppy seconds and that the only reason you were with me was because you've already fucked every guy in Forks and now you're making your way through us Lowers."

"That's not true!" I shouted, my eyes widened with panic. "Edward, baby, you can't believe him! I never slept with him or anyone but you! I've never even liked Mike! He's a douchebag who thinks every girl wants him just because his dad has money! Baby please, please, tell me you don't believe him."

Tears started to well up in my eyes. My chest was tight. Stupid fucking Mike! I swear if he fucks up my relationship with Edward I will kill him! How dare he say that about me?! Maybe I'll kill him anyways, just for being a fucking jealous prick!

Hands came up to my cheeks. Through my blurry eyes I saw Edward staring down at me. His thumbs swiped under my eyes. I hadn't even realized I'd begun crying. His eyebrows were pulled together in a scowl, but his eyes belied his concern.

"Hey, stop this shit Princess." He scolded lightly. "My girl doesn't cry over stupid shit like this right? Besides I know he's a lying piece of shit. I was your first baby, and trust me, there's no way you could have lied about that."

He was right of course. I was getting worked up about nothing. Edward knew how deep my feelings for him went. He also knew that I was a virgin until our first time together and like he said, there's no way I could fake that. But even the thought that he might leave me, that he might doubt my loyalty to him, it made me crazy. I spent so long pining after him. Now that I had him I didn't ever want to let him go.


	3. Chapter 2

***So as I said in the last chapter, this story will be going back forth from the past to the present. This chapter is in 3rd person as it takes place in the past. Anyways, thank you guys for the reviews/favorites/likes. Seriously let me know what you guys think of this story- what you like, what you hate, if I should delete the thing altogether- not that I actually will mind you, but I'll appreciate the feedback. As always, hope you guys enjoy!  
**

 **P.S. who else is getting snow in their part of the world? I just moved from Florida to my hometown in Ohio. I forgot how much I actually hate the evil white dust...**

(September)

Bella walked down the halls of Forks' Private Academy. She wore the standard uniform- black knee length skirt, white button down blouse, blue and gold striped tie, white stockings, and gold blazer. Normally she wore mary janes or kitten heels but today she decided to wear a pair of boots Alice had tempted her to buy the previous weekend.

It'd been two weeks since Bella had shown up at the party on the La Push beach. As promised, Alice had taken Bella under her wing- so to say- and had taken her shopping. Bella now had two wardrobes. One for her parents' approval- otherwise she may never make it out of the house- and one that Bella actually enjoyed.

Her secret wardrobe- the one Bella hid in the very back of her walk-in closet- consisted of many parent-disapproving clothes. Leather jackets, short skirts, jeans that were torn at the knees, band tees, boots, and more. She planned to get rid of her old wardrobe which consisted of everything preppy and expensive but she didn't wish to give her parents a heart attack. She figured if she slowly integrated the new clothes into her current style, they would hardly notice or at least wouldn't make too big a deal about it.

Bella stopped at her locker. It was the first week back to school and Bella could already feel the difference this year would bring. While she had always been popular because of her father's career and money, Bella had lacked confidence. This year however, Bella could feel the confidence rolling off her in waves. This was her year, after all. Her senior year and the year she finally got what she truly wanted for the past four years. Edward Cullen.

"Hi Bella!" Jessica greeted cheerfully.

Jessica's locker was right beside Bella's. Bella wasn't too thrilled about it. Even though Jessica was her 'friend' she was too upbeat in Bella's opinion. Still, she was better than Bella's other locker neighbor. Michael Newton. The boy had been trying to get in Bella's pants since 8th grade. Bella rejected him time and time again. He'd gone after other girls and that seemed to give Bella the space she desired from him. Now, however, he'd been with every girl Forks had to offer except for Bella. It seemed he's made it his sole mission to get Bella this year.

"Hey." Bella mumbled as she turned her combination lock.

She tugged on the thing after twisting it to the right combination but it didn't budge. She tried again but still no luck. Cursing she banged her fist against the locker. She knew it would have no effect but it made her feel better. Jessica stared at Bella as though she'd lost her mind but she kept quiet. Bella took a deep breath and tried the lock for a third time. By some miracle it finally worked. She was just about to open her locker when a hand slapped against it, keeping it closed. Bella turned to glare at the pale, blonde haired, blue eyed boy before her.

"Hey there Bella." Michael smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Go away Michael." Bella sighed, irritated.

"Oh c'mon, don't be like that." He joked. "I just wanted to talk."

"Fine, what do you want?" Bella rolled her eyes.

Bella realized the quicker she allowed Michael to ask her out, the quicker she could turn him down. Hopefully then he would leave her alone and she could finally grab her books and run to class. To her horror, Michael leaned closer to her. She could smell his rank breath and had the sudden urge to shove a mentos in his mouth.

"I want a lot of things, Bel-lah." He stressed the syllables of her name. "You, under me, for one. But for now I'll settle for a date."

"No." Bella said quickly, her nose scrunched up in disgust. He didn't actually think that line would work on her did he? He was a pig, no question about it. "Will you get your hand off my locker now? I need to get to class."

"Bella, Bella, Bella," He sighed. He finally took his hand off her locker but instead of leaving, he moved behind her and beant down so his lips grazed her ear as he spoke making Bella almost puke with disgust. "One day, you'll be crawling to me, begging me to make you mine. Hopefully by then I won't have moved on."

"I can only hope." She deadpanned.

The bell rang. Michael chuckled as he walked away, brushing his hand across Bella's shoulders. Bella glared after him until he turned a corner. She shook her head planning all the ways she could castrate him for touching her and getting into her personal bubble when she clearly wanted to be left alone. It was only then that she realized the hall was now empty. The students were all in class and Bella was officially late. She quickly gathered her books from her locker and took off towards her class. She was half way there when she ran into a wall.

Bella stumbled backwards. She would have fallen if the wall hadn't grown arms which wrapped themselves around her to steady her. Looking up into a pair of hypnotic green eyes, Bella realized it wasn't a wall she had ran into. It was Edward. But what was he doing here? He wasn't a student and even if he was, he had go to school on the reservation with the rest of the Lowers.

"I-I-Uh… Wh-what?" Bella shook her head knowing she wasn't making any sense.

"I'm guessing they don't teach communication here?" Edward raised an eyebrow amused.

"Huh?" Bella's lips felt numb as they moved. She told herself to snap out of it as she shook her head. "I-I mean, what are you doing here?"

Edward's eyes narrowed. They trailed up and down Bella's body, lingering slightly longer on her breasts before meeting her gaze. He looked a little confused as though he wasn't quite sure what was going on. Suddenly his eyebrows raised and his lips tugged up in one corner.

"I DO know you." He said. Bella could practically see the light bulb lighting up over his head. "You're the Richie from the party, the one Alice has taken pity on."

"That's me." Bella mumbled, ducking her head.

"Rosalie was ready to kick your ass that night." He snickered. "I thought Emmett, Jasper, and I were gonna have to restrain her."

"Yeah, well she was a bitch and I gladly would have taken her." Bella looked up fiercly.

She glared into Edward's eyes and noticed for the first time that his pupils were dilated and the whites around them were tinted red. She took note of his posture. He wasn't as stiff as he had been at the party. His smile was crooked and lazy as though he found everything funny. A skunk-like smell emitted from him and Bella realized that Edward was high. Her eyes widened as she looked around to make sure nobody was in the halls to see him. Once she made sure the coast was clear she leaned towards Edward.

"Are you high on school grounds?" She whispered angrily.

"Maybe." He whispered back before laughing loudly. As his laughter died down he looked down at Bella. His gaze softened as he took in her long lean legs under her school uniform, big brown eyes, and silky brunette curls. "You know, you're the hottest Richie I've ever seen."

"I am?" Bella blinked, momentarily forgetting about him being high.

"Yeah." He nodded with another crooked grin. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure." Bella bit her lip as she leaned closer to Edward.

"I have gotten you off my mind since that party." He said as a finger came up to twirl around one of her curls.

"Not many people stand up to Rosalie I take it?" Bella giggled nervously as the butterflies began swarming in her stomach.

"No." He shook his head. "But that wasn't the party I was talking about…"

He trailed off. Bella looked at him in confusion. What other party could he be talking about? The only other party she had seen him at was the night she first saw him. Their gazes had only met for a second but it was enough for Bella to become obsessed with him for the next four years. Was it possible that he had become just as obsessed? No. He had been with Tanya at the time. He had probably seen her at a Richie party when he was dropping off 'party favors' and she just hadn't noticed him.

Thinking of party favors, Bella was reminded of Edward's situation. He was high on school property. He didn't go to school here and he was 20 years old. He could get in serious trouble for this. Which brought Bella back to her original question: Why was he here? Bella pulled back from Edward and shook her head.

"Edward what are you doing here?" She sighed, glancing around her once more to make sure they were still alone.

"I'm collecting a debt." He shrugged, straightening up himself. His smile was gone and although his eyes were still round and red, he no longer seemed high- if that were possible.

"A debt? From a student?" Bella scoffed. "Couldn't that wait until after school? I mean you could get in trouble just being here…"

Bella trailed off as her concern started showing through. She didn't know Edward and Edward didn't know her. She was starting to seem like an obsessed teen with a crush. Then again she was an obsessed teen with a crush.

"Relax, I already collected it, I'm leaving." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Besides, it wasn't from a student."

Edward winked at Bella. Her breath caught in her throat, momentarily too stunned to hear his words. When they finally did register her eyebrow scrunched up, confused. If he didn't collect his money from a student then who? A teacher perhaps? The principal? Nah, it was probably some janitorial staff member.

"Oh." Bella muttered, looking away from Edward. Her eyes fell on the clock on the wall above Edward's head. She was fifteen minutes late to her class. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" Edward's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced behind him trying to find Bella's source of panic.

"I'm late to class." She explained. "I gotta go."

She moved to pass him, but Edward stepped in front of her again. A laughing grin stretched his lips. Bella swore in all the times she had… observed Edward, he never smiled so much. He must really be high. Bella batted away the quiet voice in her head telling her that he might be smiling so much because he liked her. Bella looked up at him, wondering why he had stopped her.

"What's the hurry? You're already late." He shrugged. "In fact, you should just skip. Come with me."

Isabella Swan, skipping school? The very thought was ludicrous. Still, Bella had the urge to say yes. What was one day of school compared to all the days she attended in the past 12 years? She had a perfect attendance record so nobody would really care. But still, Bella couldn't bring herself to say yes… at least not today.

"Maybe another time." She finally said.

"You sure?" He asked. When she made no further comment, he shrugged and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "See you soon Princess!"


	4. Chapter 4

***Hey guys! So sorry for the late update. I had meant to put this chapter up a few weeks ago, but I sort of forgot about it :/... Anyways, I hope you enjoy and I look forward to all your reviews.**

 **P.S. I got the next chapter started so hopefully I'll have it up either this week or early next week.**

Bpov

Monday morning, Edward pulled up in front of my school. Even though I had my own car, he insisted on driving me to school. Something about wanting to remind the boys who I belonged to or some shit. Whatever, either way it worked for me. Since he had started driving me to school I was no longer hounded by Michael- although this morning, I'm thinking about having a little chat with him. I didn't have to put up with any of my fake friends either as they all started ignoring me once they discovered I was hanging out with the lowers.

"I'll see you after school baby." Edward said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I turned to face him with a grin. His usual pout was set on his face. It wasn't a secret that he hated having to let me go to school. That was 8 hours that he wasn't able to spend with me, 8 hours that I was around other guys who apparently like to spread rumors about me. I leaned over and pecked his lips. It was supposed to be a quick kiss, but he grabbed the back of my head to hold me to him and deepened the kiss. When he finally let me go I was breathless.

"One more month." I panted, staring into his green eyes.

"And then no more of this school bullshit." He agreed.

I bit my lip as I said goodbye to him one more time. I exited the car with a heavy heart and guilty conscious. I hadn't told Edward yet, but I had gotten an acceptance letter the other day to The University of Washington in Seattle. I had applied months ago, before Edward and I became official. It was just to appease Charlie at the time. Now, though, I was seriously considering going. It wasn't like it was too far away, just a few hours. I could get a house off campus and Edward could live with me. He could get a job while I went to school, or he could even attend too. I saw his transcripts. They were good, better than mine. He would get accepted, no problem.

But the thing with Edward though is that he didn't want to leave. He was content with where he was. He had his friends, his 'career', his home, all right here in Forks/ La Push. That was why I hadn't brought it up to him yet. I hadn't forgotten the reason he and Tanya had broken up. She left him. She chose college over him. But this was different. I wasn't leaving him. I wanted him to come with me. And even if he chose to stay, I'd only be a few hours away and we could still see each other on the weekends and holidays. I wasn't moving to another state or across the country. I could only hope that Edward would see it that way as well.

"Hey Bella!" A shrill whistle caught my attention. "Looking good baby!"

I snapped my head to the side. My eyes narrowed on the blonde haired prick surrounded by his buddies. Glancing over my shoulder I saw that Edward was still in the same spot. There were two things I could do at this point. Confront Michael in front of Edward and pray he didn't try to get involved, or ignore him and pray Edward didn't feel the need to 'defend my honor' again. Unfortunately I was never one to just ignore things.

I stomped my way over to where Michael Newton stood with the rest of his douche bag buddies. Said buddies were making catcalls and cracking lame jokes as I approached. Michael, himself, just stood there with a shit-eating grin. He thinks he is so cocky. He had to know that Edward would tell me what he said.

"Hey Gorgeous." He winked as I stopped before him. "I see you finally came to your senses."

"My senses?" I raised an eyebrow. He must not have noticed the look of disgust on my face as he kept going on, oblivious.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you grew bored of hanging out with a bunch of Lowers." He snorted. "They don't deserve you baby, but I promise, I'll take good care of you."

He smirked as he raised a hand to caress my cheek. I flinched back before grabbing his hand. Never had I been more grateful for the self-defense classes Charlie made me take. Michael's face scrunched in pain as I twisted his hand. His friends had stopped laughing and were staring at me asif I'd grown a second head, but I didn't pay attention to them as I focused on Michael.

"Let's get something straight Michael. I. Am. Not. Your. Baby." I spat out slowly so he would understand me. "You have and will never be anything more to me than a great annoyance and a pain in my ass. You got my boyfriend thrown in jail and I swear to god if I hear you have been telling your little buddies that I have touched you with anything less than a ten foot pole, I will cut off YOUR tiny pole. Do we understand each other?"

He didn't say anything, just glared at me in defiance. I raised an eyebrow as I twisted his hand even harder. I could feel the tendons straining but I would break his hand if I had to. If that's what it took to get it through his head, then so be it. Michael cried out louder in pain and nodded his head.

"Fuck! Alright!" Tears started streaming down his eyes. "I understand! I get it!"

"Bella come on." Edward said. I hadn't even realized he left his car let alone was standing beside me. "You're gonna break his hand."

I held on a little longer, wanting to make sure Michael got my full message. He was a pest. I never had any feelings for him and I should have made that clearer to him in the past. His innuendos and constant pick up lines were annnoying, but I hadn't seen any harm in them. But he crossed the line by telling Edward those lies. I was done and he would understand that or face the consequences.

When I finally let go, Michael snatched his hand away. He cradled it to his chest and glared at me in anger. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was probably to scared to. I would be to if I were him. Not only did I just nearly break his hand- his throwing one at that- but Edward was right beside me too. No way was he stupid enough to say something after Edward had kicked his ass this past weekend.

"Fucking pussy." I sneered at him as I turned away. As I walked away with Edward, I couldn't resist throwing one more shot over my shoulder. "I would never go out with a limp dick little boy like you when I have real man right here."

Said man wrapped his hand around my arm and pulled me back to his car. I protested and tried to yank away. I had to go to school. I wasn't going to let Michael fucking Newton ruin my whole day. Unfortunately Edward was stronger. He held onto me tightly and practically threw me into the passenger side before stomping around to the driver's side and slamming the door behind him.

"What the fuck Edward!" I yelled as he peeled away from the school.

"I think I should be the one asking you that Isabella!" He yelled back.

Shit. He never used my full name like that. He must be angry with me, but why? I didn't do anything wrong. Did I? No. I defended myself and made it clear to Michael and everyone else that I was nobody's girl except for Edward's. So why was he so pissed?

"I don't know what you are talking about." I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him. "Take me back, right now."

"No." He shook his head. "I don't think you're gonna wanna go back after that little performance you just put on."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I scoffed.

"Look baby, if you wanna get expelled that's fine by me." He shook his head. "But I'm pretty sure you want to continue your education, right?"

I rolled my eyes and kept silent. He was right though. I didn't want to be expelled- certainly not for anything having to do with Michael fucking Newton. Despite Edward's words, his tone and posture made me believe that he did actually care about my education as well. I guess he wouldn't be too proud to have a high school dropout for a girlfriend.

Edward drove in silence. I had no idea where we were going. I thought we were going back to his house but he drove past the road and kept going. We entered La Push and I sat up straighter. I'd only been in La Push a few times with Edward. After we had started dating he had told me that he didn't want me going there alone. The few times we had went there we were meeting his friends. As we pulled up to a house I'd never been to before, I got the feeling we were there for something besides a friendly hang out.

"Edward?" I asked as he shut the car off.

His hands were gripping the wheel and he stared out the window. I saw his adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard. I would be lying if I said he wasn't freaking me out. Finally he turned to me. His face was as serious as I'd ever seen it.

"Normally I do this when you are in school," He began to explain, "but since I'm not letting you go back there today, I have to do this with you."

"Seriously babe?" I held his hand. "What's going on?"

"You know I'm not a saint and I never pretended to be one," He lifted his free hand to brush my hair away from my face. "I have to do some business in there… illegal business."

I stared at him. Illegal business. He meant a drug run. I wasn't stupid. I knew what Edward was. I knew what he did. He was a deal. He sold drugs. I had never been witness to his business before though. He was very careful about keeping me away from all of that. I guess now I knew when his peak hours were though.

"Ok," I nodded. "So, I'll wait out here for you."

"No." He shook his head firmly. "This isn't the best part of town. I'm not about to risk letting you stay out here knowing who the fuck might stroll by. Bella, you have to come in with me. Don't fight me on this ok? I need you in there so I know you are safe."

"Alright Edward." I agreed soothingly. "I'll come in."

"Thank you." He sighed. Did he really think I was going to fight him on this? "When we go in there, don't say a word ok? Try not to look at anyone. Don't touch anything. Stay by my side the entire time. I'll make this as quick as possible and then we will leave and go hang out with Alice or something."

I nodded my head. I wondered why he brought me here if he was so worried about me being here. He could have taken me home first right? I wanted to ask him, but I couldn't bring myself to. He was obviously on edge and I didn't think me asking questions would calm him any. So instead I kept quiet.

Edward got out of the car and I followed after him. He waited until I was beside him so he could wrap an arm around my waist- pulling me close to his chest- before he started walking to the house. He didn't bother knocking on the door. Instead he threw it open with confident familiarity- as though he'd walked into this house all his life. He jerked his head up slightly in acknowledgement to the two guys on the couch.

"Where's Black?" Edward ask, his grip tightening slightly around me.

"On a run." The guy with the backward baseball cap answered. He was rolling a blunt but paused to look up at Edward. "What are you doing standing there? Get your ass over here. Jacob will be back soon."

"Watch yourself." Edward glared at him but moved to take a seat on the opposite loveseat.

I sat beside Edward, keeping as close to him as I could. Something about this whole thing was unsettling me. It didn't help that Baseball Cap kept looking up to eye me. I met his gaze and glared at him before remembering Edward's words: try not to look at anyone. It took some effort but I was able to force my glare into a mild scowl as I tilted my head down. He laughed loudly, causing me to jump in surprise.

"Where'd you pick this one up Eddie?" The guy asked.

Surprisingly there didn't seem to be anything malicious behind his teasing. Infact his smile seemed to lighten up his whole face. I noticed then that his features were kind of boyish. Sure he was tall and definitely muscular but his eyes were large and round will long eyelashes. His jaw was round and his cheeks stuck out slightly. I relaxed a bit beside Edward.

"What did I tell you about that fucking name Seth?" Edward rolled his eyes at the man. "We met a while ago."

"You look familiar." Baseball Cap- Seth as Edward called him- said as his laughter died down. He studied me for a moment before he raised his eyebrows in realization. "Oh shit! You're her! The girl from the party!"

"Seth." Edward bit out warningly.

I suppressed the smile threatening to form on my lips. Seth must have been at that first- and last- party I went to by myself. That was the night I told off Rosalie and finally caught Edward's attention. Funny, I don't remember seeing Seth there and something tells me he'd be a hard guy to miss and not remember.

"What's wrong Eddie?" Seth laughed. "Don't want your girl knowing you've were obsessed the moment you first saw her?"

Edward shifted in his seat. I turned my head to look at him. He was scowling but his cheeks were tinted a light red. I couldn't believe it. Edward Cullen was embarrassed. But why? So he was intriuged by me before we dated. That didn't mean anything. It wasn't any worse than being a mildly obsessed, borderline stalker for 3 years like I had been.

"What was it you said her name was…" Seth trailed off. He snapped his fingers loudly and exclaimed, "Bella! That's it. Yeah. Bella, you may not know this, but you've had my boy whipped long before you guys got together."

"I swear to God Seth!" Edward yelled.

"Alright fine! Calm your teets Edwina. God you act like such a sensitive little bitch sometimes." Seth scoffed, shaking his head. He finished rolling his blunt and lit it, taking a deep drag. Holding it in,he turned to me and asked, "so Bella, you smoke?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

Seth blew out the smoke, coughing a few times before taking one more hit. He held the blunt out to me. Not one to turn down weed, I reached out to take it, but it was gone before I could grab it. I looked at Edward in surrprise as he held the blunt and inspected it closely. He turned to Seth with narrowed eyes.

"Laced?" He asked, his voice hard steel.

"Oh c'mon Edward." Seth said, no longer seeming to be joking. "You really think I would offer your girl laced weed?"

"Either hit it or give it here, Cullen." The other man- who had been watching the entire exchange in silence- glared at Edward.

"Oh damn Sam." Seth laughed. "I forgot you were here for a moment."

Edward glared at the man- Sam- but put the blunt between his lips and inhaled. He held it in as long as he could before blowing the smoke out in perfect 'O's. It always fascinated me how he did that. As much as I've tried, I could never do that. He took another hit and passed the blunt tome as he held the smoke in his lungs.

I took a hit, relishing in the familiarity of the action. Sometimes it feels like i've been smoking my whole life. Really I only started smoking about four months ago. Alice was the first person to get me high. Well, technically it was Alice, Edward, and Jasper, but Edward and Jasper didn't show up until after Alice and I had already started smoking. That was such a great day.

I blew the smoke out, barely coughing, before taking another hit. I passed the blunt to Sam. He leaned forward to take the blunt. As he did, his fingers brushed against mine. I pulled back quickly but Sam smirked at me. HIs smirk made me feel creeped out so I leaned even more into Edward who wrapped his arm around me.

"Yo Edward!" The front door suddenly flew open, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man.


	5. Chapter 5

***Whoo! Chapter 5 is up! Let me know what you guys think. If you've read this far then you probably realize there will be talk of drugs and use of drugs in this story but I'll start putting a warning up just in case. Again, this chapter is set in the past. Enjoy! :D**

(Februrary)

"And we have our cell phones if you need anything at all. Don't hesitate to call." Charlie Swan said to his daughter, Isabella.

Mayor Charlie Swan and his wife, Renee, were going out of town for a romantic week. They did this every year for Valentine's day. Normally Isabella would stay with a friend for the week, but this year she opted to stay home by herself. The thought had Charlie on edge. It wasn't that he didn't trust his daughter. He knew she wouldn't do anything crazy like throw a party. But being alone meant no one was here to protect her incase someone tried to break in. Not that anyone would be eager to break into the mayor's house, but it was a possibility.

"I know dad." Isabella sighed with a slight roll of her eyes. "You don't have to worry you know? I'll be fine."

"I'm your father." Charlie scowled indignantly. "I'll always worry."

"Charlie we are going to miss our cruise." Renee whined from the door.

With one last goodbye, Bella shooed her father and mother out of the house. She watched them get in their car and drive away, waiting until their car was no longer in sight before closing the door. She let out a long sigh as she leaned against door, grinning to herself. Finally, she had the house to herself. One whole week of no parents, no friends she had to pretend to be different around, and no one to stop her from doing what she wanted.

She pulled out her phone and sent a text message to Alice. The black-haired pixie had become Bella's best friend over the past few months. As promised, Alice had helped Bella to change into a girl more acceptable among the Lowers. Alice still wouldn't let Bella hang out in La Push, but Bella knew she was only looking out for her.

Within a few minutes, Bella's phone chimed with Alice's reply. This was the weekend Bella had been waiting for. Alice had wanting Bella to get high with her, but Bella was too nervous that her parents- mainly her father- would find out. Now though, there were no parents around to suspect anything was amiss.

It wasn't long before a knock announced Alice's arrival. Bella, who had been watching South Park while she waited for Alice, quickly answered the door and allowed Alice in. Alice had only been in the Swan home a handful of times. She had yet to meet either of the parental Swans, but she counted herself lucky on that. She knew neither Mrs. or Mr. Swan would like her very well and would probably try to convince Bella she was a bad influence- which she was of course, but that was beside the point.

"Are you ready to smoke it up?" Alice smiled widely as soon as the door was closed behind her.

"Fuck yes!" Bella laughed.

Alice and Bella went up to Bella's room. Alice plopped down on Bella's bed. Bella followed suit, sitting crossed at the foot of her bed. Alice reached into her bag and pulled out a rolled bit of paper- which Bella recognized as a joint- and a small glass object that looked almost like a pipe.

"This is a bowl." Alice said, holding up the glass object. "I brought this for you to try, but I also brought a joint incase you don't want to smoke out of the bowl."

"Does it really matter?" Bella's eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes were locked on the bowl.

"Kind of." Alice giggled. "Some people prefer a joint because… well because it's simple really. You just light it up and smoke it."

"And the bowl?" Bella asked.

"So with the bowl, once you put the weed in here," Alice pointed to the curved part of the bowl, "you need to keep this hole covered as you light it. This is called the carb." She pointed to a small hole on the side. "Then you inhale a bit before you take your thumb off the hole, but you keep inhaling. The longer you keep the hole covered, the bigger the hit when you uncover it. I prefer a bowl because I feel it gets me higher, but you have to be careful because you may get weed ash in your mouth if you try to hit it after it's done. Trust me, that shit is disgusting."

Bella nodded her head in understanding. She looked between the joint and the bowl. She wasn't sure which one she should try. Alice already had the joint rolled, but she did say she preferred the bowl. Honestly Bella was a little more curious to try the bowl.

"Let's try the bowl." Bella finally decided.

"Great!" Alice smiled widely.

Alice pulled out a small bag from her purse. Having an ex-officer as a dad, Bella knew what weed looked like. She watched as Alice removed a bud from the bag and began to pick it apart before placing it in the bowl. When she was done, Alice held out the bowl to Bella. She took it and put the end to her mouth. Once she had the carb covered, Alice leaned over and lit it with the lighter.

"Breathe in, good… ok… ok that's enough, you can let the carb go." Alice laughed. "God you are gonna kill yourself. No! Try to hold it-!"

Alice cut herself off as she began laughing hysterically at Bella. Bella had been trying to follow Alice's instructions, but she had taken a much bigger hit than she had intended to. She began coughing and spluttering, holding the bowl out towards Alice. She felt like she couldn't breathe, but after a moment her coughing died down and she was able to take a deep breath again. Then she looked up at Alice and saw the pixie laughing so hard tears streamed down her face. Suddenly Bella began laughing as well. It seemed so hilarious that Alice was laughing so hard.

"Oh shit!" Alice laughed. "You're gone girl!"

"I feel so light." Bella said as her laughter died down to giggles. "Like air! I feel like air!"

That got the two started laughing again. Alice took a few hits from the bowl, before offering it to Bella again. Bella took one hit- much smaller than the first- then handed it back to Alice. They did this for a while, passing the bowl back and forth while talking.

"...I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Jasper," Alice was saying, "but lately he's been going along with every stupid plan Edward can think of. One of these days they are going to get themselves arrested."

"Edward is so gorgeous." Bella mumbled aloud.

She hadn't meant to say it- only think it. She looked up at Alice, hoping she hadn't heard. Judging from the huge smile on Alice's face, she definitely heard. Before Alice could say anything to Bella's comment, Bella stood up from her bed and headed towards her door.

"I'm hungry. I'll be right back." Bella said.

"Ooh bring me back something!" Alice called after her.

Bella went downstairs to the kitchen where she raided the pantry for something to eat. Renee didn't usually allow junk food in the house, but Bella knew where her father kept his secret stash. All the way in the back of the pantry, behind a box of Bran Flakes, Bella found a bag of Doritos and a box of Zebra Cakes along with a few cans of soda. She grabbed the chips and cakes and two cans of Mt. Dew.

Just as she turned around, she heard a knock on the front door. Bella froze. Was it her parents? Had they forgotten something? Did they know she was smoking and came back to catch her in the act? Bella scrambled up the stairs and back to her room, panting as she slammed the door behind her,her eyes wide with fright.

"I think my parents are home." She told Alice.

"What?!" Alice sprung from her bed and ran to the window. She looked down and started laughing again as she turned back to Bella. "It's not your parents."

"It's not? Then who-?" Bella walked to the window and peered down as well. The car in the driveway was not her parents, but it was definitely familiar. A silver Aston Martin. "Oh my god! What is he doing here?"

"I called him." Alice shrugged.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Bella's eyes widened.

She wasn't exactly mad- she was too high to be at this point- but she was admittedly upset and shocked that Alice would do such a thing. As if being around Edward Cullen, sober, wasn't bad enough, now she had to be around him while high for the very first time.

"What's wrong?" Alice giggled. "Afraid you'll blurt out your undying love for him?"

Bella glowered at Alice but otherwise ignored her as she turned to look out the window once more. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Edward Cullen- and Jasper- was walking to her front door! Well actually they were standing infront of Edward's Aston Martin, but regardless, they were in her driveway! The two of them looked to be having some kind of debate. Edward looked upset and turned back to his car as if to leave, but Jasper grabbed his arm and shook his head, saying something Bella couldn't make out.

"Oh no he doesn't." Bella heard Alice whisper from beside her.

Alice, who had also returned to the window and saw her boyfriend arguing with Edward, turned and ran out of the bedroom. Bella follower her and the two ran down the stairs to the front door. Alice threw it open, causing the two men to face her and Bella- who stood just behind her.

"Well don't just stand there boys." Alice rolled her eyes.

Jasper glanced at Edward cautiously before walking into the house. He wrapped his arms around Alice, pulling her in for a quick kiss before nodding at Bella. Bella smiled at him, but her eyes quickly darted back to Edward who seemed to be glaring at Alice.

"I can't stay." Edward finally spoke after a moment. "Jay's got a job for me."

"I call bullshit." Alice huffed. "Now get in here or I'll tell Bella all of your most embarassing secrets, starting with the age you finally stopped wearing-"

"OKAY!" Edward yelled,interrupting the small pixie. He stalked into the house, still glaring at Alice. His gaze softened as he turned to Bella though and he looked at her almost sheepishly. "Hey."

"Hi." Bella timidly replied.

Alice shut the door behind Edward and ushered everyone into the living room. Bella was partially grateful she didn't try to bring them upstairs to her room. She didn't want Edward to see her collection of books and think her nerdy. She also couldn't remember if her hamper was full and she definitely did not want Edward to see her dirty clothes- bras and panties included.

"Nice place Bella." Jasper complimented.

Jasper sat in her father's Lay-Z-Boy recliner, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. Bella bit back a smile as she thought of her mother's reaction had she been witnessed to Jasper's 'lack of manners'. Alice sat on Jasper's lap, his arm instantly wrapping around her waist. Edward sat on the sofa but kept his feet planted firmly on the floor. Bella stood awkwardly, not sure where to sit. There was another arm chair she could sit in, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to sit closer to Edward.

"Oh geez Bella, just sit down already." Alice laughed.

Edward and Jasper turned to looked at Bella expectantly so she hurriedly sat on the other end of the sofa. Alice pulled a rolled blunt from Jasper's shirt pocket and lit it as he scowled at her.

"Oh relax, I've got one upstairs that I'll give you." Alice rolled her eyes before taking a hit.

"You guys were smoking?" Edward suddenly asked, his eyes shifting from Alice to Bella.

There was something in his eyes when Edward looked at her that made Bella feel warm. She bit the inside of her cheek as she nodded her head slightly. Just like that the spell was broken as Edward turned to glare at Alice. The pixie shrugged her shoulders and offered the blunt to Jasper as she blew out smoke.

"She wanted to try it, who was I to say no?" Alice giggled.

Edward, Jasper, Alice, and Bella passed the blunt around, smoking and talking. Well Edward talked to Jasper and Alice. Oddly, he didn't even glance in Bella's direction. This frustrated Bella to no end. She liked when Edward looked at her, or when he talked to her- especially said her name.

"I'm gonna get my things from your room, Bella." Alice said, standing up from Jasper's lap. She looked down at her, seeming to say something with her eyes before speaking to him. "Come with Jazzy."

With a roll of his eyes, Jasper stood up and followed Alice upstairs. Bella and Edward were left alone on the sofa. The silence that filled the room after Alice and Jasper's departure was deafening. Bella wanted to say something to Edward, but she didn't know what. Thankfully she didn't have to wait long as Edward spoke suddenly.

"So your dad is Mayor Swan?" He asked, though he was looking anywhere but at Bella.

"I guess." Bella shrugged. Was that why he was being so weird? Was he afraid the mayor of Forks was going to walk in any moment? "He and my mom are away for the weekend. They won't be back until Monday night."

Edward turned to Bella suddenly, his eyes wide. "They let you stay here by yourself?"

"Well I'm 18 so it's not like a big deal or anything." Bella laughed.

"Yeah, but what if someone were to… I don't know… break in or something?" He scowled. "You're here by yourself in this huge ass house. If something…"

Edward trailed off, swallowing thickly. He face was set into hard scowl as he stared at Bella. Bella a little offended at his words though. Did he not think she could take care of herself? Did he still see her as one of the Uppers? Just a rich girl who needed someone to look after her so she didn't max out her father's credit cards or- GASP!- break a nail?

"If something happens, I'll be fine." Bella spat angrily at Edward. "I don't need anyone to protect me."

"Still, you shouldn't be left alone. There's no telling what could happen." He argued.

"You're not my father, Edward." Bella shook her head. "Even he has faith that I can take care of myself."

"Maybe he's just fucking stupid then." Edward glared at Bella.

"And maybe you're just a...a… a fucking jerk!" Bella jumped from her, yelling at Edward.

"And you're fucking stupid just like your father!" Edward yelled, also jumping up.

"God! I fucking hate you Edward Cullen!" She shoved her hands against his chest, trying to push him, but it was like pushing on a boulder. "I don't know why I like you so mu-!"

Bella slapped her hands over her mouth but the damage was done. The words were out and there was no way to bring them back in. She stared wide-eyed at Edward who stared back at her just as stunned. She took a step backward, stuttering out an apology. She barely got two words out before Edward stalked towards her, grabbed her face and kissed her.

Bella's heart skipped a beat as she felt his lips on hers. It wasn't her first kiss. It wasn't even her first kiss with Edward. She would, however, always remember this as the kiss that changed everything between her and Edward. It ended too soon as Edward pulled away.

"We can't keep doing this." Bella shook her head, staring at the ground.

"Bella-"

"No, Edward." Bella shook her head, cutting him off. "I'm not just some girl you can kiss and tease whenever you like. I really like you-" She looked up and stared at him imploringly. "I mean, REALLY like you- but I know you don't feel the same. You probably have a million girls you do this with and I refuse to be just another number."

"Bella stop." Edward said forcefully as he gripped her slim shoulders in his strong hands. "There isn't any other girls. There has never been any other girls from our first kiss to now and until the moment you leave me, there will never be any other girls."

"What?" Bella blinked dumbfoundedly at him.

"I really like you too Bella." Edward's lips quirked up in a small smirk. "I have for a while."

A memory popped up in Bella's mind. The first time she had seen Edward after that party on the Rez. He showed up high to her school to 'collect a debt'. He had said something then. "I haven't gotten you off my mind since that party." Bella had thought he was just too high to really know what he was saying. It's not like he had said anything like that to her after that day. But what if he hadn't been too high? What if he knew exactly what he was saying but just didn't care?

"Well it's about fucking time!"

Bella and Edward lifted their heads towards the stairs. Alice was standing on the bottom step with her hands fisted and resting her hips. Jasper stood behind her with a lazy grin. The blonde rolled his eyes at his girlfriend and gently prodded her down the stairs. Alice marched over to Bella and Edward with a shit-eating grin.

"Now aren't you glad I invited him?" Alice turned her smug grin to Bella.


End file.
